Animal-trap.



PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

r -QJAI W. T. HAMBROOK.

ANIMAL TRAP.

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[NVE N TOR. ffmc? Qmmg APPLICATION FILED SEPT.6, 1904.

as sa UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

VILLIAM T. HAMBROOK, OF TORONO, CANADA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,190, dated June 27,1905.

Application filed September 6, 1904. Serial No. 223,505.

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Be it known that I, lVILLIAn T. HAMBROOK,

bookkeeper,of the city of Toronto,in the Province of Ontario, Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal- Traps, ofwhich the following is a specification. l The object of my invention isto devise a simple and effective rat-trap by means of which a number ofanimals may be caught with the same bait; and it consists, essentially,of a cage having two compartments comuninicating with one another by asmall door, one chamber being' open at its outer end and provided with atilting' platform adapted when tilted inwardly to close the opening ofthe outer compartment and to open the door between the compartments.This platform is shaped to form an outer inclined ladder, a centralhorizontal portion provided with a bait-receptacle, and anupwardly-inclined portion at the inner end adapted when the platform istilted to assume a horizontal posij tion adjacent to the door,substantially as hereinafter described.

Figure l is a side sectional elevation of my improved trap with theparts in their normal position. Fig. 2 is a similar view of part of thetrap, showing the parts as they appear as tilted by the weight of ananimal. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the operative parts of the trap. Fig. ais a front elevation showing the door forming a communication betweenthe compartments of the trap.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding' partsin the different figures.

It will be seen that the Atrap comprises a cage divided into twocompartments A and B by a partition C. In this partition is formed anaperture D of sufficient size for the passage of the animal the trap isdesigned for. The compartment A is provided with any suitable door, suchas E, through which captured animals may be removed. The compartment Bis open at its outer end and has journaled within it the tiltingplatform. This platform comprises the horizontal center portion F, theouter inclined portion G normally sloping down to the bottom and theinner portion H normally extending upward.

The parts, it will be seen,are so proportioned that when the platform istilted sufficiently the ends of the platform close the outer compartmentofthe trap, while the inner portion H of the platform assumes asubstantially horizontal position.

The outer portion( 1`r,it will be seen,is formed as a ladder. There is,however, sufficient weight of material left in it to cause the parts tomaintain their normal position.

Formed in the horizontal portion F of the platform, or` if necessary, inthe part H are one or more depressions I, intended to serve asbait-receptacles. These will bc filled with some substance attractive tothe animals for which the trap is designed.

.l is a door adapted to close the aperture D.'

This door is connected to one end of the arm K, which is centrallypivoted, thus making it a lever of the first order. The outer end ofthis lever is connected by a link or other flexible connection with theadjacent part of the tilting platform. From this construction it followsthat when the platform is in its normal position the door is closed andwhen the platform is tilted, as shown in Fig. 2, the door is open.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows: An animalattracted by the bait climbs the outer ladder-like portion of thetilting platform and advances over the horizontal portion to the bait.His weight then tilts the platform until the inner part assumes asubstantially horizontal position. This movement of the platform hasopened the door, and the animal, seeing all exits barred save thatthrough the aperture l), naturally goes through into the compartment A.As soon as the weight is ofi' the part lil of the tilting platform thelatter assumes its normal position and the door J is once more closed.The trap, it will be thus seen', without rebaiting is adapted to captureas many animals as can find accommodation within it, and, whennecessary, they may be removed through the door E and destroyed.

While the trap is primarily intended for rats, yet by mere changes insize or detail it may be adapted to mice or other small animals.

While Ishow the details of construction and proportion of the partswhich I deem preferable, yet it Will be understood that I do not` wishto conine myself to these exact details, as various changes may be madewithouty departing from the spirit of my invention.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention isl. In an animal-trap a cage dividedinto t-Wo compartments communicating by a suitable aperture, the outercompartment being open at its outer end, in combination with a tiltingplatform horizontally journaled in the outer compartment and comprisingacenter portion normally substantially horizontal; an outer portionnormally sloping downto the bottom,A and an inner portion normallyextending upward, the parts being so proportioned that the Weight of ananimal on the horizontal portion will cause the ends of the platform toclose the trap while the inner portion assumes a substantially horizontal position; and means permitting an animal to enter the innercompartment while the platform is in its tilted position, substantiallyasdescribed.

2. In an animal-trap a cage divided into two compartments communicatingby a vsuitable aperture, the outer compartment being open at. itsouterend; in combination with a tiltingv platform horizontally journaledin the-outer compartment and comprising a centerv portion normallysubstantially horizontal and having abaitvreceptacle formed therein, anouter portion normally sloping down to the bottom, and an inner portionnormally extending upward,

' the parts being so proportionedthat the Weight of an animal on thehorizontal portion will cause the ends of the platform to close the trapwhile the inner portion assumes a substantially horizontal position; andmeans permitting an animal to enter theinner compartment while theplatform is in its tilted position, substantially as described.

3. In `an animal-trap a cage divided into two compartments communicatingby a suitable aperture, the outer compartment being open at its outerend; in combination with a tilting platform horizontally journaled inthe outer compartment and comprising a center portion normallysubstantially horizontal, an outer portion normally sloping dow-'n tothe bottom, and an inner portion normally extendingupward, the partsbeing so proportioned that the weight of an animalonthe horizontalportion will cause the ends of the platformfto close the trap while theinner portion assumes a substantially horizontal position; a lever ofthe iirstl order carrying at one end a-dooradapted to close the aperturebetween the compartments of the cage; andA aflexible connection betweenthe other end ofthe lever-aud the platform, substantially as described.

Toronto, August129, 1904.

WM. T. HAMBRooK.

In presence vof- J. EDW. MAY-BEE, P. R. JONES.

